Ford’s hot-in-demand 2022 Maverick pickup truck appears to be sold out, with The Wall Street Journal reporting that the automaker has taken the unusual step of suspending reservations.
Ford reached out to its dealers to tell them it was suspending customer orders, the Journal reports. The company will resume taking orders for the plug-in hybrid truck this summer. A Ford executive confirmed the unusual move in an interview with the paper as well, stating:
“We didn’t want to take more orders than we could build,” said Dean Stoneley, general manager of Ford trucks, in an interview. “We’re getting customers who would have perhaps bought a used car and are now buying the Maverick because it is so affordable,” he said.
The Maverick’s affordability — the base model starts at $20,000 — as well as its gas-electric hybrid powertrain have made the truck highly desirable for American car buyers who are hungry for cheaper, more environmentally friendly vehicles.
Car prices for both new and used models are at an all-time high amid soaring demand and tight inventory. The ongoing microchip shortage is also helping to fuel shortages on dealership lots, further constraining buyer options.
The average transaction price for a new car is now higher than the manufacturer’s suggested retail price: $45,872 versus $45,209, according to the most recent data from Edmunds.
Big trucks and SUVs, which are the biggest sellers in the US, are helping to drive that average price up. Automakers have responded by also slashing many entry-level vehicles from their lineup, including low-cost sedans and smaller SUVs and crossovers. The Maverick was an outlier: a highly affordable compact truck marketed to younger buyers and urban dwellers.
A Ford spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.